Old Enough to Love... (Just One of the Guys) (12 page)

“No reason. Just curious.”

“When’s yours?”

“May 20
th
. I think it’s the day of your graduation.”

He rubbed my back with his hands. “So we’ll have two things to celebrate.” He bent down and brushed an unexpected kiss across my lips. It didn’t go unnoticed that he said ‘we’ and insinuated we’d be together in May. I bit my lower lip to hide my smile.

Before I knew it, he distanced himself quickly.

“Hi, Mrs. Hendricks.”

“Well hello, Zach. Glad you could join us.”

“Thanks for having me.”

Ryan pounded down the stairs.

“What’s up, Zach?” Ryan gripped his hand and they bumped shoulders. I smiled at their sudden camaraderie. 

“Hey, Ryan,” Zach responded and glanced suspiciously at me.

“Let’s go, Runt.” Ryan shoved me playfully.

Zach grabbed my hand. “What the heck is up with Ryan?” He whispered shocked.

I shrugged.

After dinner the boys engaged in a friendly backyard football game while I watched from the deck. Several times, I caught myself staring at Zach—I’m not sure I’d ever seen someone so handsome.

It was seventy-five degrees today and though it was cooler with the sun meeting the western horizon, the guys worked up a good sweat. When Zach tugged his drenched shirt off his broad shoulders and tossed it to me, I giggled and draped the wet material over my lap but felt goofy when my dad shook his head and rolled his eyes.

My body had become foreign to me, acting on it’s own in ways I couldn’t explain. Just watching Zach—sweaty and shirtless stirred up feelings in my body that were a little alarming. After a bit, we moved inside to catch the Oregon/Arizona game. More football. Not that I was all that interested in the game, but it meant time with him.              

Mom and I chatted in the kitchen while I threw break and bake cookies on a cookie sheet and tossed them in the oven. While I waited for the timer to go off, Zach’s phone vibrated on the counter next to Ryan’s, where they’d left them before going outside. I peeked at the cookies. Not close.

I snatched his phone off the counter to run it to him. The screen showed that he had a new text message
. From Estelle
. Obviously, she was in his address book for her name to appear. My body felt like it was imploding and my shoulders slumped. I stared at the view button as my finger hovered over it for the longest time. I clenched my fist.
Don’t.

In the living room, they were all three absorbed in the gripping zero to zero game but Zach smiled as I came in. I held out the phone and his brows rose.

“It vibrated,” I said innocently.

He took it from me, glanced at the screen, slid the phone shut without responding then patted the empty spot next to him on the sofa. I shook my head.

“I’ll be back,” I said. “Come on Reesy,” The dog leapt from her bed and toddled behind. Jealousy crept into every bone as I moved away from him and up the stairs. I felt sick. From my bedroom window, I stared at Zach’s Jeep parked next to Ryan’s truck in the driveway. I thought about the time last spring, I’d seen Ryan and Estelle in the truck making out, from this very window…something I’d never told him. But today, as I looked at the Jeep, I pictured Zach and Estelle. His hand on her knee and her beautiful ebony hair blowing in the wind. The bow-tie pasta I’d eaten earlier crept up my throat. I tried to shake it off…think of other things. But then last night at the beach replayed in my mind—her singing his name—telling everyone that they’d been together.  She was so beautiful and a junior and could have any guy she wanted—well, she’d had most of them.

The Jeep was narrow, not like Ryan’s truck and I wondered when he and Estelle were together how they fit. What was it like? Did he kiss her the way he kissed me? I imagined their lips pressed together. His hands on her body.
STOP!
  I could never compete with her. I sprawled across my bed next to Reesy, frantically shoving my Ipod ear buds into my ear, listening to Nickelback.  I closed my eyes trying to slow my breathing. It wasn’t working.

Finally, I grabbed my
Ipad and tapped my Facebook app. Two friend requests. I smiled instantly when Zachary Owens was one and I accepted immediately. Going straight to his wall, I was excited to see any piece of him that was foreign to me.  His friends from San Francisco, his parents, anything…but I hadn’t expected this.  Forty-two pictures of him and Estelle and the group that she had posted. Today! Torturously, I clicked my way through them. They were in front of the drinking fountains downtown. In his Jeep with the top down. In a house with a painting of a mountain behind them.  I tried to place the painting, his house?

“What’s going on?”

I flipped completely over, startled by his voice and presence in my room. 

“I, uh.”

He glanced at the screen and his shoulders fell ever so slightly.

“Emma,” he said softly.

Needless to say, I hadn’t expected him in my room today. My bed was only half made and dirty clothes were scattered around. Reesy met him, wagging her tail as he got closer.

“Those were a long time ago.” He was upset, but there was tenderness in his voice. I untagged myself today but she must have retagged me.”

“I’m sorry,” I said gazing down at my lap.

He knelt on one knee in front of me. “For what?”

“You can sit on the bed.” I patted a spot next to me.

He pulled his saturated shirt away from his body. “I’m drenched and I stink. I’ll stay put.” His smile was beautiful.
              He was quiet. When I glanced up at him, his eyes were patient

“I know that message was from her,” I whispered clearing my throat.

He nodded. “Yes. It was. She texts me about twenty times a day.”

“Why?”

My words hadn’t angered him and I was relieved. “You can read any of them. All of ‘em. She asks me to call, text back, you name it…I don’t.”

It was silly after last night and after being with him today that I felt the way I did.

“Look.” He switched knees. “This Estelle thing is going to pass. I know it hurt you and I regret ever doing it. But I can’t take it back and I can’t take away your pain. I wish I could.” Remorse was thick in his voice. 

“Why did she just now post the pictures?”

Sweat beads trickled down his temples and he dabbed them with his shirt. “Why do you think?  To upset you. To upset us. Estelle doesn’t bother me. I understand and respect that it concerns you…but it is
not
a concern for me. What concerns me is that you don’t give
you
credit. You are a beautiful girl and you can’t understand why I’m attracted to you. I like you. I like spending time with you. Is that OK?”

I nodded as he uncrossed my legs. Just him touching my leg blasted a shot of adrenaline through me. I swallowed hard trying to ignore what my body was saying. He took my hand and pulled me down to rest on his one knee then kissed the tip of my nose. “If I wanted to be somewhere else right now, I would be. But I don’t.”

He left me speechless.

The next couple of weeks went by in a blur with football and cross country.  Quality time together usually came only on the weekends and either after games or meets. But, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gone a day without seeing him. He had been amazingly attentive to me and in overdrive at distancing himself from Estelle. Our conversations were different now and centered around us and getting to know each other. We would talk for hours in his Jeep or on the sofa.

I wasn’t sure if Ryan was just playing along or if he and Zach were really becoming friends.  Somewhere along the line, Zach stepped down as secondary quarterback and the coach put him in as a tailback, which could have something to do with Ryan’s behavior. I wondered if either of them did it for me.

It was Friday night and Homecoming. With every ounce of my attention focused on the love of my life, I’d been slacking at home with dinner and laundry, school work and definitely cross country. I needed to make adjustments.

Mom said I could go watch the football game if I got my chores done. Ryan and Zach had to be at the school early, so I worked hard and fast.  By the time Dad got home, I’d washed, dried and folded three loads and put my own stuff away.  The dishwasher was empty and,
because Mom had a late night, I’d talked Dad into grabbing something at the game. He agreed. Thank goodness.  I left the trash for Ryan and I was good to go.

I changed and threw on my AHS sweatshirt and a pair of ripped jeans, one of Zach’s favorites, dabbed on some perfume and headed out.
             

Dad and I picked up Ali and arrived shortly before kick-off. Zach was number eighteen and I spotted him immediately. The band was playing the school fight song and the cheerleaders were doing their thing on the track in front of the stands. Looking as great as ever with her mile-long legs sticking out from under her short uniform, Estelle flashed me a lazy smile.

Though Ryan had played football for as long as I could remember, I’d never been as psyched about games as I was now. About two minutes before half, we had the ball. Ryan took the snap, handed it off to Zach and he rammed through the center for a touchdown.  I screamed, of course, like a maniac. His first touchdown of the year. I was so proud. He was at the bottom of a dog pile getting up way too slow for my liking. Finally, the guy on top of him, rolled off—he pounced up, tore off his helmet and body slapped Ryan.  He searched till he found me in the stands and pointed at me. Ali nudged me in the side. 

“You are so lucky.”

I pointed back at him doing my own little victory dance and his smile sparkled from the field. My dad glanced at me and rolled his eyes then took a seat with his buddies.              

“Hey Mr. Hendricks.” I heard the voice. People were everywhere but I knew that voice addressing my dad. 

“Hellooo Gorgeous!” The voice was behind me and deep. I spun around, nearly losing my balance on the bleachers, but he caught me. “Whoa, easy Runt,” he said.

“Austin!” I threw my arms around his neck. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, some buddies and I came down to watch your brother kick some ass.”  He shot his thumb in the direction of four other guys. College guys.  They were hot and the girls in the stands were checking them out.

“He’s doing great,” I bragged.

“Austin. How’s it going?” My dad stepped up a bleacher and shook his hand.

“It’s good. We made the trip down from Eugene to watch Ryan.”

“How was the drive?”

Leave it to my dad to ask about the drive.

“It was fine. Do you all want to catch some dinner after the game?”

My dad eyed me and nodded. “Sure.
Em and I haven’t eaten at all and I’m sure Ryan will be famished.”

My spirits sunk as he spoke. It was my evening with Zach. Austin was a family friend and I didn’t think I’d get out of it. I turned around to see Ali glaring at me with her jaw clenched. Then I spotted Zach on the sidelines—unnecessary questions in his eyes. I winked but wasn’t sure he could see.

“You know. You could introduce me,” Ali seethed through gritted teeth.

I laughed. “He’s a college freshman, you dork.”

“I know! I recognized the name. Introduce me, please.”

Austin was engrossed in trivial conversation with my dad so I waited. Finally, they broke.

“Hey, Austin. I was kind of rude earlier and didn’t introduce my friend, Ali.” I pointed to her. “Ali, this is Austin.”

Ali extended her hand. He shook it. The corners of my dad’s lips twisted into a smile.

“Nice to meet you Ali. Em’s mentioned you. You are more than welcome to join us for dinner as well.”

Great. Austin was flirting and Ali would be in love in two seconds.

“OK. Thanks,” She whispered and stared.

I turned back around. “OK, Ali. Just casually turn your body back toward the game and act like you can breathe.”

“Em. I can’t breathe. He is SO cute.”

“He’s in college, silly
.”

After the game, Ali and I waited for Zach at my usual spot by his Jeep. Dad, Austin and his college friends had already headed to the pizza place. Zach and Ryan came out together and separated as Ryan neared his truck. I heard them talking but couldn’t make out the words.

“Ladies,” Zach greeted.

“Congratulations on the touchdown.” I smiled and moved toward him. He gave me an awkward hug.

“Thanks.” He kissed the top of my head.

We squeezed into the Jeep. “I hear I’m losing you tonight.” My heart fluttered until I realized Ryan must have told him about Austin.

“We have some friends here from Cannon. It was a surprise. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. I’m sure you’ll have fun.” His eyes left the road and met mine for a second.

“Can I call you after dinner?”

“You better.”

We were at the pizza place and he parked next to the curb. Ali climbed out first and I took the opportunity to lean over and kiss him quickly.